peg

[ peg ]
See synonyms for peg on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a pin of wood or other material driven or fitted into something, as to fasten parts together, to hang things on, to make fast a rope or string on, to stop a hole, or to mark some point.

  2. Informal. a leg, either real or wooden: still on his pegs at 99.

  1. a notch or degree: to come down a peg.

  2. an occasion, basis, or reason: a peg to hang a grievance on.

  3. Also pin .Music. a pin of wood or metal in the neck of a stringed instrument that may be turned in its socket to adjust a string's tension.

  4. Informal. a throw, especially in baseball: The peg to the plate was late.

  5. Economics. the level at which some price, exchange rate, etc., is set.

  6. British, Indian English. an alcoholic drink, especially a whiskey or brandy and soda.

  7. British. clothespin.

verb (used with object),pegged, peg·ging.
  1. to drive or insert a peg into.

  2. to fasten with or as with pegs.

  1. to mark with pegs.

  2. to strike or pierce with or as with a peg.

  3. to keep (the commodity price, exchange rate, etc.) at a set level, as by manipulation or law.

  4. Informal. to throw (a ball).

  5. Journalism. to base (an article, feature story, etc.) upon; justify by (usually followed by on): The feature on the chief of police was pegged on the riots.

  6. Informal. to identify: to peg someone as a good prospect.

verb (used without object),pegged, peg·ging.
  1. to work or continue persistently or energetically: to peg away at a homework assignment.

  2. Informal. to throw a ball.

  1. Croquet. to strike a peg, as in completing a game.

adjective
  1. Also pegged. tapered toward the bottom of the leg: peg trousers.

Idioms about peg

  1. take down a peg, to reduce the pride or arrogance of; humble; humiliate: I guess that'll take him down a peg!: Also take down a notch .

Origin of peg

1
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English pegge (noun), peggen (verb), from Middle Dutch

Other words from peg

  • peg·less, adjective
  • peg·like, adjective
  • re·peg, verb, re·pegged, re·peg·ging.

Words Nearby peg

Other definitions for Peg (2 of 2)

Peg
[ peg ]

noun
  1. a female given name, form of Peggy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use peg in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for peg

peg

/ (pɛɡ) /


noun
  1. a small cylindrical pin or dowel, sometimes slightly tapered, used to join two parts together

  2. a pin pushed or driven into a surface: used to mark scores, define limits, support coats, etc

  1. music any of several pins passing through the head (peg box) of a stringed instrument, which can be turned so as to tune strings wound around them: See also pin (def. 11)

  2. Also called: clothes peg British a split or hinged pin for fastening wet clothes to a line to dry: US and Canadian equivalent: clothespin

  3. informal a person's leg

  4. Northern English dialect a tooth

  5. British a small drink of wine or spirits, esp of brandy or whisky and soda

  6. an opportunity or pretext for doing something: a peg on which to hang a theory

  7. a mountaineering piton

  8. croquet a post that a player's ball must strike to win the game

  9. angling a fishing station allotted to an angler in a competition, marked by a peg in the ground

  10. informal a level of self-esteem, importance, etc (esp in the phrases bring or take down a peg)

  11. informal See peg leg

  12. off the peg mainly British (of clothes) ready to wear, as opposed to tailor-made

verbpegs, pegging or pegged
  1. (tr) to knock or insert a peg into or pierce with a peg

  2. (tr sometimes foll by down) to secure with pegs: to peg a tent

  1. mountaineering to insert or use pitons

  2. (tr) to mark (a score) with pegs, as in some card games

  3. (tr) informal to aim and throw (missiles) at a target

  4. (intr; foll by away, along, etc) mainly British to work steadily: he pegged away at his job for years

  5. (tr) to stabilize (the price of a commodity, an exchange rate, etc) by legislation or market operations

Origin of peg

1
C15: from Low Germanic pegge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with peg

peg

In addition to the idiom beginning with peg

  • peg away at

also see:

  • square peg in a round hole
  • take down a notch (peg)

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.